- Orioles Rule 5 pick Tyler Wells was placed on the 10-day injured list today with right wrist tendonitis, per the team. His placement was backdated to July 20th, however, and the O’s don’t expect him to be out for longer than the minimum ten days, per The Athletic’s Dan Connolly (via Twitter).
Orioles Rumors
Orioles Place Two Players On COVID-19 Injured List
The Orioles have placed outfielder Anthony Santander and left-hander Keegan Akin on the COVID-19 injured list. Outfielder Ryan McKenna and lefty Alexander Wells have been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to replace them on the active roster.
There’s no indication at this point that either of Santander or Akin has tested positive for COVID-19. Players can land on the IL for feeling symptoms or for viral exposure. The COVID-19 IL does not come with a minimum stint.
Santander has gotten the bulk of playing time this season in right field. He’s hitting .231/.280/.387 across 247 plate appearances, a drop-off from last year’s strong .261/.315/.575 line. Akin, meanwhile, has made thirteen appearances (including eight starts) this year. He’s tossed 48 1/3 innings of 8.19 ERA/4.62 SIERA ball. The southpaw had been the projected starter for this afternoon’s game against the Rays. Wells will take the ball instead.
Orioles Activate John Means
The Orioles announced they’ve reinstated left-hander John Means from the 10-day injured list to start this evening’s game against the Rays. Outfielder Ryan McKenna was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to clear active roster space.
Means has missed around six weeks after landing on the IL with a shoulder strain. That was an unfortunate development that halted what has been a breakout season for the 28-year-old. Through 71 innings, Means has worked to a sterling 2.28 ERA/3.80 SIERA. He’s missing bats at a career-best 25.7% rate and has continued to avoid free passes (4.9% walk percentage). He’s had plenty of success with all three of his offerings (fastball, slider and changeup) and racked up swinging strikes at a lofty 14% clip (against an 11.6% league average).
Along with that strong performance came some questions about Means’ long-term future. With the Orioles still rebuilding and not particularly close to contention, it’s not out of the question Baltimore could give some thought to moving Means for a haul of younger talent. There’s only ten days remaining until the trade deadline, though, so there’s not much time for Means to demonstrate to contenders he’s back to peak health and form.
That’s not to say teams won’t be in contact with O’s general manager Mike Elias over the next week-plus. There’d still surely be plenty of interest in Means if Baltimore were to make him available, particularly given the lack of other top-of-the-rotation arms expected to be on the trade block this summer. Still, there’s no urgency for the Orioles to move Means at this point, so other clubs can’t bank on his recent injury reducing the asking price. The O’s can keep Means in Baltimore via arbitration through the end of the 2024 season.
Draft Signings: 7/18/21
Here’s the roundup of some of the latest prominent signings from this year’s draft class. For more on the 2021 draft, check out the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.
- The Diamondbacks signed second-round pick Ryan Bliss for a $1.25MM bonus, Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports (Twitter link). This represents some noteworthy savings for Arizona’s draft pool, as the 42nd overall pick has an assigned slot price of $1,771,100. A shortstop from Auburn, Bliss might move to second base in the pros, and he displayed a lot of contact skills at the plate while also flashing some added power potential this year.
- The Yankees signed second-rounder Brendan Beck, with Collazo reporting that a $1.05MM bonus for the Stanford right-hander. It’s another below-slot deal, as $1.307MM is the assigned price for the 56th overall selection. Beck does a good job of mixing a four-pitch arsenal and he already has good command, and Baseball America feels Beck “projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who has a chance to be more.”
- The Orioles announced the signing of second-rounder Connor Norby on Friday, with The Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli reporting (via Twitter) that Norby received a $1.7MM bonus. The 41st overall selection has a $1,813,500 assigned price, so Norby signed for slightly below slot. Fangraphs and Keith Law each had the East Carolina second baseman ranked 25th on their boards, as Norby received praise for his well-rounded approach at the plate.
Orioles Sign First-Round Pick Colton Cowser
The Orioles have signed first round pick Colton Cowser with a $4.9MM bonus, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter). Cowser was selected with the #5 overall pick, which carries a slot value of $6,180,700.
As with their first round pick last season, Heston Kjerstad, the Orioles chose Cowser with an eye on signing him to a below-slot value, which should enable them to spend more money further down in the draft. Of course, just because Cowser signed for under slot doesn’t mean he’s not worthy of the pick. Cowser spent three seasons at Sam Houston State University, winning the Southland Conference Player of the Year Award in his junior season, slashing .374/.490/.680 with 16 home runs.
Baseball America ranked him as the No. 11 prospect in the draft, calling him “a rare safe harbor who provides a long history of hitting.” Keith Law put him at No. 14 in his draft preview for The Athletic, while Fangraphs was more bullish, placing him at No. 6 overall with a 50 Future Value. Cowser’s contact is a plus tool, and he’ll unlock his ceiling if he continues to display power while playing centerfield.
Poll: Who Will Win The 2021 Home Run Derby?
A busy week for Major League Baseball kicked off Sunday with the Futures Game during the day and the first 36 picks of the 2021 MLB Draft in the evening. It’ll continue with Day Two of the draft today and the annual Home Run Derby this evening.
Tonight’s eight-player field consists of top seed Shohei Ohtani, followed (in order of MLB’s seeding) by Joey Gallo, Matt Olson, Salvador Perez, Pete Alonso, Trey Mancini, Trevor Story and Juan Soto. One half of the bracket will see Ohtani/Soto and Perez/Alonso in first-round matchups, while the other half will see Gallo/Story and Olson/Mancini. We’ll take a very brief look at each participating slugger’s season to date (sorted by their first-round matchup) before opening up polls on who fans are rooting for and who they expect to take home the trophy.
- Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH, Angels: Ohtani has been the talk of baseball in 2021, leading MLB with 33 home runs while also pitching to a 3.49 ERA with a 30.7 percent strikeout rate on the mound.
- .279/.364/.698, 33 home runs
- 93.7 mph average exit velocity, 119 mph max exit velo, 26 percent barrel rate
- Juan Soto, OF, Nationals: Soto hasn’t matched his 2019 power output, but he’s the youngest entrant in the field and has been one of baseball’s elite hitters from the moment he homered in his first big league at-bat back in 2018.
- .283/.407/.445, 11 home runs
- 92.6 mph average exit velo, 115.3 mph max, 10.8 percent barrel rate
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- Joey Gallo, OF, Rangers: After a slow start, Gallo looks well on his way to another 40-homer season. He’s hitting .308/.479/.838 with 15 home runs since June 4.
- .239/.402/.522, 24 home runs
- 92.4 mph average exit velo, 115.1 mph max, 19.6 percent barrel rate
- Trevor Story, SS, Rockies: Story will take the field hoping for an upset win that could serve as something of a Coors Field farewell with the trade deadline and free agency looming.
- .249/.323/.442, 11 home runs
- 90.7 mph average exit velo, 110.2 mph max, 9.2 percent barrel rate
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- Salvador Perez, C, Royals: The seven-time All-Star gets better with age. He’s ripped 32 home runs in just 519 plate appearances dating back to the beginning of the 2020 campaign.
- .275/.300/.501, 21 home runs
- 93 mph average exit velo, 114.2 mph max, 14.3 percent barrel rate
- Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets: Alonso will defend his 2019 title — there was no 2020 Home Run Derby — in the midst of a hot streak. Eleven of the Polar Bear’s 17 big flies have come since Memorial Day weekend.
- .250/.328/.478, 17 home runs
- 92.7 mph average exit velo, 117.1 mph max, 15.7 percent barrel rate
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- Matt Olson, 1B, Athletics: Since 2017, the underrated Olson leads all full-time first basemen with 126 home runs, and he’s on pace to top his career-high mark of 36.
- .282/.371/.567, 23 home runs
- 92 mph average exit velo, 115.3 mph max, 14.4 percent barrel rate
- Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, Orioles: That Mancini was able to return to the field at all after being diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in early 2020 is remarkable; a derby win would be a feel-good story for baseball fans everywhere.
- .256/.331/.460, 16 home runs
- 88.5 mph average exit velo, 113.9 mph max, 12.9 percent barrel rate
Who do you want to see win the 2021 Home Run Derby? (Link to poll for app users)
Who do you think will win the 2021 Home Run Derby? (Link to poll for app users)
Home Run Derby Field Finalized
The eight-man field is set for the 2021 Home Run Derby. Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini, Royals catcher Salvador Pérez, Athletics first baseman Matt Olson, Nationals outfielder Juan Soto and Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo will compete in the event.
Ohtani has been perhaps baseball’s biggest story in 2021. The two-way star has a league-best thirty-one home runs and looks like the early favorite to win the AL MVP award. Alonso, who won the most recent Derby in 2019, will be looking to defend his title. The right-handed slugger has popped fifteen homers this year. Story figures to be the fan favorite with All-Star festivities taking place in Denver. The 28-year-old has hit 11 longballs this season. It’ll be an emotional sight to see Mancini on such a big stage. He missed all of last season battling colon cancer but made it back this year and has popped fifteen homers.
Pérez has been the game’s most powerful catcher. He leads all backstops with twenty homers and he’ll get the starting nod behind the plate for the American League in the All-Star game. Olson has also hit twenty dingers this year and will represent the playoff-contending A’s in the All-Star game. Gallo, who’ll join Ohtani, Pérez and Olson on the AL All-Star team, has been on an absolute tear over the last month, bringing his season total in homers up to twenty-three. Soto only has ten home runs this season, but he’s been one of the game’s best hitters since reaching the majors as a 19-year-old in 2018.
The Home Run derby will take place at Denver’s Coors Field on Monday, July 12.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported Gallo’s inclusion.
Orioles’ Travis Lakins Undergoes Elbow Surgery
Orioles right-hander Travis Lakins Sr. underwent surgery this morning to address a recurrent olecranon stress fracture in his throwing elbow, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). The hope is that Lakins will be ready for Spring Training in 2022, although that doesn’t seem to be a foregone conclusion.
It’s not especially surprising to hear Lakins required surgery. He’d already been placed on the 60-day injured list after leaving an outing last week with an elbow issue the team called “significant.” That suggested a season-ending absence was a possibility, and that’ll indeed prove to be the case.
Lakins has pitched in the big leagues in each of the past three seasons. He broke in with the Red Sox in 2019 and was traded to Baltimore in 2020. The 27-year-old has made 46 appearances (45 in relief) with the O’s since then, working 53 2/3 innings of 4.36 ERA/4.65 FIP ball. He’ll remain on the 60-day IL for the rest of the season, but he’ll need to be reinstated from the injured list at the beginning of the offseason. If the O’s feel it’s worth devoting a 40-man roster spot to him over the winter, he’d be controllable through 2025 and wouldn’t reach arbitration eligibility until after 2022.
Outrighted: Beasley, Bergen, Wade
A handful of players around the league have cleared waivers:
- Right-hander Jeremy Beasley and lefty Travis Bergen both went unclaimed on outright waivers, the Blue Jays announced. They’ve been subsequently assigned to Triple-A. Beasley, 25, appeared in eight games with the Jays this season and posted an impressive 27.7 percent strikeout rate in 9 1/3 frames. However, he also surrendered eight earned runs, walked 19.1 percent of his opponents and served up three home runs in that short time. Bergen was designated for assignment last week despite a 1.69 ERA in 10 2/3 innings, although the 27-year-old’s eight walks in that time make that ERA look rather dubious. Bergen has an excellent minor league track record but has been injured frequently throughout his pro career to date. If he can repeat his past minor league success and remain healthy, he could get another look before too long.
- The Orioles announced that righty Konner Wade cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk. The 29-year-old made a very brief MLB debut last week but was hit hard, surrendering six runs on seven hits and a walk with one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. The former Rockies and Red Sox farmhand has been enjoying a solid season in Norfolk to date, having pitched to a 3.24 ERA through 33 1/3 frames. Wade has just a 16 percent strikeout rate there, but he’s also notched a tidy 6.1 percent walk rate and an above-average 48.5 percent ground-ball rate. While it obviously wasn’t the debut Wade had envisioned, there’s been a fairly steady churn on the Orioles’ pitching staff so far in 2021, so continued success in Triple-A could lead to another look in the Majors later this summer.
Welington Castillo Retires
Former big league catcher Welington Castillo is retiring from baseball, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter link). He’ll hang up his spikes having appeared for five teams in parts of ten major league seasons.
Castillo began his professional career with the Cubs, signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2004 and reaching the majors by 2010. He went on to spend the next four-plus years on the North Side of Chicago, hitting fairly well as the Cubs regular catcher from 2013-14. Chicago traded him to the Mariners in May 2015, and Seattle flipped him to the Diamondbacks as part of a deal to acquire Mark Trumbo a little more than a month later.
The right-handed hitting backstop spent the next year and a half in Arizona, working as the D-Backs primary backstop before being non-tendered. He signed on with the Orioles for the 2017 campaign, again offering his typical blend of quality offense and fringy but playable defense behind the dish. He then returned to Chicago — this time on the South Side — on a two-year deal with the White Sox.
Unfortunately, Castillo’s White Sox tenure didn’t go as hoped. He was suspended for eighty games after testing positive for a banned substance midway through the 2018 season, and he struggled at the plate for the first time in his career in 2019. While Castillo signed minor league deals with the Nationals in each of the past two offseasons, he didn’t make it back to the majors. The 34-year-old opted out last season due to COVID-19 concerns and has spent this year with Washington’s Triple-A affiliate.
While Castillo’s career didn’t end the way he’d likely envisioned, there’s little doubt he had a solid run. Castillo tallied 2701 plate appearances over his ten big league campaigns, compiling a .254/.313/.426 line that betters the .243/.311/.390 mark managed by the league average catcher between 2010-19. Castillo picked up 626 hits (including 98 home runs), drew 183 walks, scored 251 times and drove in 339 runs. Baseball Reference estimates he was worth around 12 wins above replacement. (FanGraphs, which accounts for his generally poor pitch framing metrics, pegs him closer to five wins). B-Ref tallies his career earnings at just north of $28MM. MLBTR congratulates Castillo on a fine career and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
